Hearing loss decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney stones, including residual(s) of kidney stones, was not reopened due to lack of new and relevant evidence.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was not reopened due to lack of new and relevant evidence.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of VA-recognized hearing loss during the pendency of the claim.,The Veteran's claim for type II diabetes mellitus was denied as there is no evidence that it began during service or is related to an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied as there is no evidence of a current psychiatric disability at any time during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, PTSD, nephrolithiasis, bilateral hearing loss, and hemorrhoids due to a lack of adequate examination opinions regarding service connection. The PACT Act requires VA to provide an examination or obtain a medical opinion when a Veteran has qualifying toxic exposure during service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, hair loss, and keloids were denied. The Board found no current hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and dismissed the claim for hair loss and keloids due to concurrent election issues.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was found to be at Level II in the right ear and Level III in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The Board denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, obstructive sleep apnea, and shortness of breath due to new evidence presented after the December 2016 rating decision. The AOJ is also required to obtain a toxic exposure risk activity medical opinion regarding the Veteran's exposure during active duty.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current diagnosis and military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, heart condition, DMII, nephropathy, prostate cancer, skin cancer, gallbladder condition, arthritis, and hypertension are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's service connection claim for left ear sensorineural hearing loss was denied. For hypertension, a higher initial disability rating of 10 percent but no higher was granted from August 10, 2022. The claim for right ear hearing loss resulted in denial with a noncompensable (0%) initial disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed. The Board has remanded several issues, including bilateral sinus condition, right hip disability, left hip disability, bilateral eye condition, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee disability, and compensable rating for hemorrhoids.

The Veteran's initial claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the audiometric evaluations did not show more severe hearing loss thresholds.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, with no worse than Level I hearing impairment. The Board denied a compensable rating for the condition.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claim for tinnitus is being remanded to obtain STRs and a medical opinion.

The Board has granted an effective date of May 21, 2013 for the award of a TDIU on an extraschedular basis and for basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment since at least May 21, 2013.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since December 21, 2021. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation (SMC) for hearing loss under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(o) is denied because his service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC as defined in the regulation.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service due to noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue of service connection for this condition is being returned to VA for further development.

Your appeal regarding your bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches, tinnitus, and hearing loss disabilities render them unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted entitlement to a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).